United Airlines Denies Boarding to Emotional Service Animal…a Peacock

Recently, I argued that airlines must crack down on the abuse of emotional support animals. Passengers continue to twist federal law to bypass pet cargo fees and bring animals onboard who do not belong onboard.

Case in point: a woman tried to bring a peacock onboard a recent United Airlines flight at Newark Liberty International Airport. She did offer to pay for a second seat for this oversized bird, but claimed she had a right to bring it onboard as her emotional support animal.

United, thankfully, said sorry…but no.

This would be funny if it wasn’t so ridiculous. And it’s not like this was the first time.

The thing with peacocks is that they are MEAN birds. There is an arboretum not too far from my house that has beautiful gardens…and peacocks running wild. They’ve been known to chase after visitors…and bite. And that horrible screech they make…

CONCLUSION

Delta recently introduced additional reasonable restrictions on emotional support animals. I believe these restrictions will withstand any legal scrutiny. Now United and others must do the same thing and finally put to rest the abuse of a well-intentioned federal policy.

About Author

Matthew

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he
travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 120
countries over the last decade. Working both in the aviation industry
and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in the New York
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I agree with all rule changes but have a necessary exception. Some of Delta’s regulation changes would require documentation regarding the animal that might be difficult for a blind or legally blind person to quickly acquire, as they typically don;t have easy online access. I would think that anyone who has documentation regarding their own blindness should be allowed to bring their service dog (yep, I said DOG) on the plane. This would be a no-brainer as they will be requesting boarding assistance, etc due to their blindness. Pretty easy to see that service animal is genuine and necessary.

Howard, Emotional Support and Service Animals are entirely different entities. It is, for obvious reasons, against Federal Law to deny access to a service animal. To get classified as a Service Animal, strict protocols must be met. A blind person would have such an animal. Emotional Support animals, on the other hand, are self-certified by the owner and endorsed by Dr eBay or Dr Amazon. The only requirement is that your credit card isn’t rejected for the $79 charge.

Stunts like these just make it even harder for passengers with a requirement to fly with their service animals – now thanks to this peacock’s viral appearance, it will now be far more difficult for me to embark on genuine travel with my Emotional Support Walrus.
Not impressed!

Ron, Those who didn’t bother to think it through. Like people who forget to ingage brain before opening mouth. Chris, you don’t really want all that stuff in your food or on your body and clothing, do you?

Those dogs are likely service animals, which are required to be trained to perform a specific task to assist you with a disability. They are considered working animals distinct from pets.

Emotional support animals are pets and have a much less strict and fairly nebulous requirement that they must provide a benefit to someone with a disability.

The issue is that there’s no way for businesses to ask for more information beyond affirming that yes, the animal is a service animal, and yes, the animal has been trained to perform some task. Asking more specifics about the training or what task the animal can perform is a violation of privacy enforced by the ADA. So naturally, the system is absolutely rife with abuse and many people are bringing their pets along where they don’t belong.

I have no patience for this and it is too the point that I am visibly rude to other passengers who choose to travel with such vermin. They disrespect the world around them by what they do and the fake needs that they impose on society. About time they get called out!

Well, we are happy to be rude RIGHT back because frankly, animals are a hell of a lot more pleasant to be around than most people. You disrespect the world around you by trying to impose your narrow-minded, hateful opinions on a fur-loving society. How about we call YOU out for having a pitch black soul!

I actually own a dog who gets treated very well (for an animal). I love animals more than anyone on here — perhaps more than anyone I know.

I simply do not believe that a person’s valid need for emotional support while flying grants them the right to bring any critter on board — least of all a BIRD. Reason: animals have been known to attack other passengers in flight. I value the physical safety of all passengers over the emotional comfort of one.

I agree with Andy. My beloved pet is, in fact, a dog. One that I would never bring to a place that is crowded with people, causing stress and panic to the animal, causing stress and panic to people, who may be allergic to the dog, may have a phobia about dogs, or may get attacked by a stressed and panicked dog. They are indeed just dogs, and there are some places where they are not allowed. Service animals are highly trained and serve a purpose. Emotional “service” animals are often just the family pet.

You can use your cellphone to videotape biting growling or insane behavior and report the FAKE ASSISTANCE ANIMAL to the athorities and ask the handlers name or housing or airline it is illegal to impersonate a service animal but I do want to let people know that sometimes barking is actually a que to the handler so a couple of barks is not acting ballistic but aggression is especially towards people that is not a service animal immediately any sign of aggression whether it’s snarling with teeth up acting insane jumping all over the place and out of control not following commands if the dog is completely out of control yes you have a right to report it not to mention you are helping us who have legitimate service dogs tell people that this fraud and faking a disability is not going to be tolerated my service dog will bark twice on an alert and if I don’t react to the alert one more bark and scratch to my hand or arm to get my attention these behaviors obviously have a purpose of hey I’m talking to you I’m helping you I’m letting you know something’s wrong I am alerting like I have been trained to do if you see anything that is ridiculously out-of-control or aggressive you need to report it please I’m asking for all people who have legitimate disabilities please hold these people accountable and do not be afraid to speak up call them out because it’s not okay it will never be okay and they’re putting other people in danger for their selfish needs

Im just as hornswoggled. Their tails are 8 feet long, their screams are piercing,Im assuming it doesnt wear a diaper?? and aside from the fact that they are highstrung easy to peck birds who could make an 8 hour flight a major misery, its not fair to them. ….you should never stress an animal out like that.

I totally agree with you Tara. Planes are not flying “Arks” and though there are people that revere animals over humans, it should not give them the right to take over in this regard. Perhaps there should eventually be flights strictly for those who would like to fly with their service animals. I cannot imagine how chaotic those flights would be!

You are right that peacocks are mean birds. When I was in Croatia a few years ago, I took a boat over to the island of Lokrum (near Dubrovnik). The island is full of peacocks. One on the docks made a screeching noise. I mimicked it and I’m not sure what I said in peacock but whatever it was, it made that peacock and a whole flock of others stalk us as we walked around the island. They would act casual if we looked at them and then continue following us through the paths, etc. Kind of crazy. It felt almost like being stalked by velociraptors. LOL

Oh, Matthew, I’m sure that’s not their nature! It must surely be the owner’s fault! No creature is mean on its own… that would go against the current culture of accepting all things as they are, regardless of logic!

Ps. Pitbulls are super duper nice by nature. Total sweethearts. There should be one on every plane.

So, I guess you missed or didn’t read the part that said this was an airport in NEW JERSEY. I doubt she flew to California to get a doctor’s signature then went back to Jersey.
Or perhaps you just have a misguided beef with California

Apparently you haven’t read much about the scam industry. There are online companies that sell you a letter from a licensed psychologist saying you are in need of an ESA. Never mind the law says the certificate needs to come from a physician or therapist who has an established relationship and is actively treating the person. The company then sells you a certificate for your animal of choice, an ID for the animal (complete with photo) and, depending on the animal, a vest identifying the animal as an ESA. You will be out several hundred dollars but you will make it back in money saved the first trip you take with your ESA since the airline can’t charge you for taking the critter on board.

Don’t forget the emotional support turkey… yup turkey. 😉 Happened on a Delta flight two years ago. I wasn’t working the flight but pictures of a turkey on a plane in a seat spread like wildfire with my colleagues LOL

Thank you for continuing to speak out about this. I’m a certified assistance dog trainer. This is a serious concern for people with actual disabilities. This abuse puts the law in jeopardy for folks with actual disabilities. I put my dogs through the Assistance Dogs International public access exams. While airlines should not have a right to know a person’s medical history, proof of the training and testing of animals should be required. A hair dresser needs a license, after all.

I totally agree with you. I work for a airline and we do not like getting into your personal business. We are not to ask what the emotional support animal are for but the knowing if the animals is trained or not for the purpose would be totally awesome. The only thing about that is we would have to turn down passengers if the didn’t have the paper work and that can come into conflict because a lot of places do not require paper work so that’s kind of a hard one.

That’s where people find the loophole. You are not allowed to ask for a SERVICE animal. ESAs are not protected under federal law and required to be allowed on. Two different categories. Don’t let people fool you.

Actually, there ARE two questions you may legally ask: 1) is your animal a service animal, ESA, or therapy animal? And 2) if a service animal, what task or tasks is it trained to perform. ALL service animals must be trained for at least one specific task such as leader dog, hearing dog, seizure warning, etc.

Oh, and if it’s not a dog it is NOT a service animal under Federal law and is NOT covered by the ADA laws. In RARE instances a miniature horse may be a service animal under ADA. In the almost 28 years since the ADA was passed, I have never met anyone with a mini as a service animal and I’ve been a rehab nurse since long before the ADA was passed. A SERVICE dog will be well trained and responsive to the 7 basic commands (sit, stay, down, off, come, heel and no). Additionally, a service dog will be focused on their person with a laser-like intensity.

If you are going to impose an animal for a stupid reason on other people in public places you better damn well tell me what your problem is first. When I see a blind person with his dog I utter a silent blessing, when I see someone in a wheel chair with a dog or a monkey, I wish him well. But these idiots who need a feel good pet to be OK in public has really gotten out of hand.

You are implying by this post that the only disabilities that are legit are ones you can visibly see, that does a great disservice to those with invisible disabilities. If a person has a service animal, what gives you the right to know their medical history? They wouldn’t ask you when you had your last pap smear! Just like your medical record is bone of their business, theirs is non of yours.

It is disgraceful that you compare life-debilitating physical disabilities like blindness with what you call “invisible disabilities.” I am not saying that depression and anxiety are not real things, but this is very insulting to the truly disabled.

Andy, I understand that you are not saying that conditions like depression and anxiety do not exist, however, mental illness can be just as debilitating and can impact a person’s ability to function both in the home and in public. What is insulting is that you are insisting that a disability be visible or physical in order to be debilitating. Keep in mind that service animals that detect seizures or diabetic alert dogs task for symptoms that cannot be observed. Assuming you are referring to disabilities that are not “physica'” so to speak, you still need to understand that a psychiatric service animal is task trained to mitigate the handler’s disability just like a service dog for guide work or mobility. The handler is still considered disabled. Keep in mind as well that those who typically have service dogs for disabilities that are unseen have tried unsuccessfully to function in other ways. Also, it is important to note that depression or anxiety vary in severity from person to person. Once person’s depressive episode may be controlled by medication. For another, medication may not be effective. It is in the cases where a person’s disability impedes his or her ability to function that a service animal may be recommended. Someone who is ‘occasionally depressed’ or only has minor anxiety would not be deemed has having a disability whereas a different person may be unable to leave the house or complete basic tasks without assistance.

…and yet, in other countries, people manage without inflicting their animals on the unsuspecting flying public.
Since this farce does not appear to be happening on international flights, can’t these people drive? Or take the train to their destination.

So tired of ignorant people taking it upon themselves to decide who has a bonafide disability. I’ll bet you also challenge those who have placards and park in spaces intended for the disabled should their disability not be obvious enough for you. Despite what you may feel entitled to know, no one owes you an explanation of their diagnosis, sorry. You’re just not that important.

While I agree that there are people who abuse the system I don’t agree with limiting the ESAs to a few speices. I for one don’t find comfort with dogs. My pet turkey however is the most compassionate and loyal (yes I’m dead serious). Dogs are NOT a one size fits all solution for everyone nor are turkeys or cats there is no such thing as a one size fits all. Just because you’re lied to and told that “farm animals” don’t show love doesn’t make it so.

With that don’t worry I don’t plan on taking my pet turkey with me on a plane I don’t even plan to go on a plane myself. Why travel when everything I NEED is here at home?

As I have trained my own dog which I am legally allowed to do and, furthermore, there is no legal obligation to have certification, registration, or a ‘test’, neither must I pay for the services of a “certified assistance dog trainer” (sorry, Julianne, I’m not going to be forced to pay for your services), therefore I disagree with the “proof of training” concept, because that is something I could only get by paying for it from someone like you who is affiliated with ADI, and that simply is not a legal requirement, and I do not need a license to prove my competence. Neither do I have to explain or justify my competence to train my own dog to you or to any of the obstinate assholes who challenge me in an airport or in any public space.

That’s fine, then don’t expect to fly on a private business transport. If you don’t want to follow their rules, then you can find an alternative. Just because you’re disabled, it isn’t a free pass to do what you want. Requiring certification of proper training is an absolutely reasonable action, as long as the rule is administered fairly and evenly, I have no issue with it. And if it becomes a problem, I would support laws to mandate it. I would prefer voluntary to mandatory, but ESA is being abused and needs further regulation if it won’t regulate itself.

so first off is a bite guard – muzzel – protection from attack via the mouth/beak …

Next diapers of some sort, yep I don’t want to slip on poop.

Next and most important, Insurance of 300K or more. because if I get bit, I’m going to demand that the plane land, the aminal(s) get quarantined and I get checked, all at your expense. Then afterward file a claim for my lost time and wages.

Many people train their own animals you just have to follow federal guidelines and I’m sorry but not all disabilities are physically apparent I know people who are crippled by fibromyalgia and horrible arthritis and are on steroid medications and pain medications and they don’t walk that great but you wouldn’t think they’re completely debilitated which they are so you need to be careful and only somebody who isn’t disabled and hasn’t had to struggle with the disability that’s literally taken over and ruined their entire life would ask such an insensitive thing if you can do hand commands and you have extensively worked with an animal for years and can pass the tests and federal requirements you are allowed to train your own animal now have most people train their own animal to the proper requirements and exstent that is required.. some yes and some no but you would be able to tell that right away so don’t be so ignorant I know people who have crippling illnesses and it doesn’t require a wheelchair I also know people who seizures like I do that need a dog to alert them when their body language and or pheromone changes so we know it’s coming and we look normal to unsuspecting people also other people but medical issues that aren’t necessarily on the outside so stop with all that and stop with your thinking this way if the dog is out of control it’s not properly trained and you have a right to report it however just because somebody is not blind or completely crippled and in a wheelchair does not mean they don’t need a service dog however emotional support animals I’m not even going to get into because it’s a completely different legal ball game and they are not covered under the ADA and they do not qualify for the same laws

Dishonest people put the law in jeopardy. I have severe pet allergies and I shouldn’t be obligated to sit next to your flea bitten animal because you want to fly with a pet. All pets provide emotional support. Flying is not a right, it’s a privilege. If you don’t want to prove that your animal is appropriately trained to respond to commands, it’s properly vaccinated, and will not cause undue harm to humans then drive to your next destination. Thank goodness that other countries haven’t taken prey to our stupidity.

Julianne Taylor, so you would deny owner trainers? Many of us would LOVE to
be able to work with or at least test with ADI. But ADI does not make themselves available to test with. They are the inly organization that I wouod trust to evaluate my dog.

Until then thise that created the ADA feel tgat those of us who cannot affored 10K+ are allowed to owner train. Behavior makes a service dog (along with the disibility of the handler). Kick dogs out that cannnot behave. Kick out people that flash Id cards from the scam registeries (that is about 90% of the people who flash cards, expect esas to have pubkic access, etc)

If only they would start narrowing down the people using this as a way to take their friggin dog on with them. I’m a dog owner and it still irritates me when i see some lap mutt on someone’s lap. You want to bring your dog with you, let it fly like my dogs (Great Dane and Doberman) have to…

With my medical assistance dog I can freely travel without a human companion. She is not an ESA. This has meant so much to me and my perception of independence. My dog and I have traveled to Italy several times, Greece, Spain, Taiwan and the Philippines. We take planes, buses, trains, ferries. I never mind showing proof of my dog’s service dog registration, her USA traveling documents, health certificate and even my disability paperwork from my doctor if the airline wants to see that. My situation is what it is. My dog is a small dog, 17 pounds, not exactly a lap dog but small enough so that I can lift her with my disability. That’s important for her care. But what I can’t do is travel with her in a cargo hold. That would mean that I couldn’t use the restroom for myself for the entire flight as I could have a problem and not be able to hit the emergency button. I am dependant on her barking or actually finding a person to help me when needed. Besides the fact that I need her services when I arrive at my new place and I usually stay a few months. I also will not be able to afford another dog like her if she should ever be asked to be put in the cargo hold and there should be a problem- lost cargo (the last flight I took last month lost my luggage for 2 days, a dead animal upon arrival. Knowing this I would not take the flight myself rather than be separated from her. I am replying to you so that you know the other side of the coin when you see animals on board a plane.

I think the issue is not with people who genuinely need their service animal, as you do and who provide documentation, as you do, but with those who lie about their need to avoid extra charges or put their animals in cargo. I am a retired airline employee and the situation has gotten WAY out of hand. There are other “entitled” individuals, cut from the same cloth, who lie about the age of young children passing them off as infants (to get a free ticket), death of a relative (to avoid ticket change fees), and even lie about carrying hazardous materials in their luggage….to name just a few examples. These people make difficulties for those truly in need.

Denine, the issue is not about a person who is in real need, it’s about all the fakers that have caused huge problems and now the backlash is starting.

I would not be surprised if your dog has been bitten by a so-called “service dog”, and that must have been a double painful experience. That’s what most people want to prevent, a legit person of need having to suffer like the rest of us.

Emil, the only animals recognised as service animals are dogs and horses, but dogs can provide services besides guidance. Dogs can be trained to smell changes in body chemistry to alert diabetics and epileptics of attacks so they can get to a safe place – and that dog can be a teacup chihuahua and not a German shepherd

Delta’s new rules affect Psychiatric Service Dogs, not just ESAs, and do violate several federal laws. While airports/public places do need to crack down on ESAs and fake service dogs, violating federal laws is not the way to do it.

They need to concentrate on making sure that the little lapdogs people are carrying around are actually serving a purpose. The majority of them are simply people‘s pets that they want to take with them, and not a trained assistance animal. All you need do is log onto the Internet, pay $75, and the next thing you know you can take your filthy dog into restaurants, onto airplanes, and pretty much make everyone’s life hell

I agree Animals are offensive to those with allergies or asthma. My husband has severe allergies to dog dander On our last flight there were 7 service dogs on board. You can’t imagine how that affects breathing on a plane with recycled dog dander air. These system cheaters have created emotional support as being more important than physical health

I’m not sure about on a plane and the ACAA, but in other public places- such as stores or restaurants- it is the establishment’s responsibility to accommodate BOTH people. I feel like this should be the case with an airline as well….I’m not sure how realistic it is however.

Its a non issue, any pet not accredited (and its not easy to get accreditation) is in the hold where they should be. We find it mind boggling walking through US airports and seeing so many animals with their owners!

So you mimic a peacock call and then a bunch of peacocks start following you and THEY are mean? If you don’t want to be bothered by animals, leave them alone. I raise peafowl (peacocks are the males) and I’ve never once been chased, bitten or attacked in any way. I have pictures of my 4 year old son with the large peacocks showing their feathers. Peafowl are not mean by nature. Peacocks living in a park or other public environment are probably aggravated by humans on a daily basis. This could make them defensive of their flock and aggressive towards humans. They are normally calm, majestic birds.

Completely sick to death of entitled assholes lying about emotional support animals. What about the people who have allergies? Do they have less rights than the con artists who pay for their internet certificates? Even the legitimate folks who need animals to travel….. why are their needs put above those who have sometimes life-threatening reactions to pet dander, etc?

I’m allergic to dogs, so my unofficial ESA is a bearded dragon. One thing I’m looking at here, with bringing all kinds of animals everywhere, is stress to the animal. Dogs are generally very social creatures by nature, so being around a lot of strangers won’t bother one who’s got an appropriate temperament and training to be a service animal, but my beardie, who is a formerly abused rescue, would be terrified in a situation like an airport. I don’t go out much, but I do go out, and am always comforted knowing my little guy will be waiting when I get home

Why are you so negative? There are too many fees, and more passengers like having pets. There are so many screaming babies. That’s what you should focus on: getting entitled parents to check their screamers with the luggage

I raise peacocks and mine are tame I don’t see how someone could understand that a dog could be an emotional support pet but deny someone having a peacock as their emotional support pet. Animals that are raised with close bonds to their keeper are tame and connect with their keepers and yes believe it or not someone suffering from depression or some sort of emotional problems you can’t judge someone because you seriously don’t know and you shouldn’t talk bad words about someone who has genuinely a peacock which Is helping them with their situation. I can tell you my birds are what kept me strong during my own life stress and issues. So please don’t be malicious in thought yes some people might a abuse the situation. It’s just not fair to judge and pick and choose what animals make sense because it’s different for everyone. For people to say peacocks are nasty noisy and attack people it’s only part of the year that they make noise and or are breeding. They don’t attack people like I read in many comments most people going to parks or zoos are provoking the birds in first place lets all be real! I also have videos and photos of my tame Peafowl I can prove to anyone how we have a bond and show videos of us outside and in the house their well trained.

Yeah, no. While I’d argue that my peacock is more intelligent and therapeutic than any yapping lap rat, we have to stop with this “emotional therapy” bullshit.
This is what happens when people win participation trophies and are allowed to masquerade as whatever they imagine they are. It’s a slippery slope.

The issue with Delta putting new restrictions into place is that they are now using this platform to restrict the rights of legitimate service animals and their handlers. You have to notify Delta 48 hours in advance of your flight with your service animal, you have to bring along vet records and in the case of a psychiatric service dog, a doctor’s note. You must arrive at the airport even earlier than another passenger would have to just to check in. So disabled persons are being asked to go through more hoops and loops just to have right to fly like everyone else, based on their use of a legitimate trained service dog, there to mitigate their disability. I applaud removing the abuse of the law by people with exotic support animals, I worry however that this increases the difficulites faced by the service dog handlers as they try to travel with their animal partner.

You are correct. It *is* going to create more hassle for those with disabilities which is unfair to them. I agree that something needs to be done about the “fakes” but I don’t think anyone has figured out the best way to accomplish that.

Who says anyone has the *right* to fly? Ever heard of the no-fly list? You’re part of the problem. Air travel is a privilege. Air carriers are private business ventures. While laws and society recognize the needs of disabled people, their needs do not override the rights of others. If there are those who have a problem with providing documentation to show the SERVICE animal (not “comfort animal”) is trained and safe to the public, then feel free to make other transportation arrangements.

While I agree the emotional support animals have been abused I have to comment on the remark that peacocks are mean animals…

These is no such thing as a mean animal.. They do not have the ability to be mean or act with malice. They are product of their human created environment and experiences. Most times when they chase people It is because they are hungry. People have taught them that they are a food source so they seek people when they need food. This is very common for geese at a park where they don’t have a regular food source because they’re fed junk all the time so when somebody comes up with some junk food they think it’s dinner time.

We have peacocks at our sanctuary and they are it mean and do t chase people but they have a food source all the time and do t have to be panhandlers in a world full of cruel humans.

I am owner-training my second Service Dog. The Americans with Disabilities Act which is Federal Law does NOT require, recognize, acknowledge, or accept ANY ‘registration’, ‘certification’, or ‘ID’ as proof a dog is a Service Dog.
United Airlines, by doing this, you’re making more SD Teams go into an even more uncomfortable place because so many more people will now be going to all the scam-sites online to buy fake ‘registrations’, ‘certifications’, or ‘ID’s on their dogs to comply with your new policy. That is NOT going to be good for anyone involved.

Now, ESA’s, on the other hand, can be any species; they’re just pets with a special dr’s note saying they are needed so the person has a reason to get up and care for something each day (basically).
ESA’s are not trained like Service Dogs or Service Mini Horses (the ONLY two species allowed by ADA to be Service Animals).
But, ESA’s should still be ok with strangers; socialized enough to be safe around strange people, etc. However, many are not.
I think the regulations on ESAs should be adjusted that if someone needs an ESA, the ESA must be socialized to other people, etc, while it is a baby so that later on it will be less scared of strangers.
But, as far as housebreaking it (if possible) and socializing it goes (if possible), that should be all. Still NOT allowed full Public Access like SDs or SMHs. If the ESA is unable to be socially acceptable behavior, then, it should be removed to the cargo hold for the rest of the trip so that it is not a nuisance or danger to other people or real Service Dogs or Service Mini Horses.
Even real SDs or SMHs are allowed to be removed from business properties if they misbehave or relieve themselves in the buildings and the handler does not do anything to stop them or make things right (a REAL Service Animal Team, though, works extremely hard to make sure there will not be any issues like these, though).
People confuse the terms, which causes legal issues. The way I taught myself to know which was which, I use “ESA = NO Public Access” and SD/SMH = Medical Equipment per ADA = PA”
it helps me keep the terms correct and knowing the ADA helps a lot, too.

This woman is out of control. She is known for pulling these stunts to gain attention especially in the art world. She also has a not so great reputation with her narcissistic behavior to other humans let alone animals. For example, on Halloween 2017 where she paid people to walk around nude and behave as servants to the audience and treated them like absolute dirt, or animals you may say. She claims to have saved this peacock from Florida but then keeps it in an apartment in Brooklyn. They are testy animals and don’t jive well with other birds, some self projection perhaps? They do not belong cooped up in tiny city spaces when they are WILD animals. Now, trying to pass off a wild animal as a ESA while there are qualified people with disabilities who truly need this is just wrong and needs to be stopped. Good job United.

I was a flight attendant for a major U.S. carrier for twenty two years. There is a section in the F/A handbook dealing with ESA. Included in the list of acceptable animals are horses and ponies. This is material for another Hollywood comedy about the airline industry. Four other flight attendant and myself refused to work a flight when a passenger was boarded with her “emotional support very large boa constrictor” in a duffel bag. Passengers were collecting their carry on items and fleeing for the exits. What is even worse is passengers who hide their dog or cat in a carry on bag and place it on the belt so it goes through the x-ray scanner; just to save $75. The flight manafest given to the lead F/A lists any special requirement for a passenger such as special dietary meal or payment of the animal carry on fee. Before the door is closed we always checked for animals not in their carriers, checked the manifest, and took the necessary action if needed. You have no idea of the stunts people try to get away with on an airplane.

I have the sweetest Beagle in the world, who does not pee, poop, bite or make noise at any venue. Every one of the last 8 people who took dogs on plane that I bumped into in the last couple of months commented how easy it was to fool the airlines, and they also stated or agreed that they were doing it because they wanted to save money and just have the dog around, not in cargo, not because of any psych needs. And what of all the many people with allergies? – they have more of a right not to have pets stuffed up their noses under flight conditions. We always take ours in cargo, and it really galls us that all these people simply misuse the system. We are dog owners and want our pet to fly w/ us together, but we completely agree w/ the airlines – NO DOGS OR OTHER PETS EXCEPT FOR BLIND PERSON EYE-SEEING DOGS should be allowed in the cabin, as those would be the only ones thoroughly trained to function in this crowded and cramped environment, PERIOD! And the owners should all pay the prevailing ticket prices or more – you’ll see how quickly all these psych-support deprived people will instantly become completely healthy. Now, the real problem is that the cargo many times is not safe, and this also pushes people to be dishonest, and that needs to be addressed seriously and immediately by the airlines. If I were a responsible airline, I would make a flight a week only for people w/ pets and let them all bring the whole zoo (for full ticket prices for everything, of course), and let them all wallow in the misery that these un-behaved pets bring. The flight will be advertised as such so people w/ health issues, allergies or who just do not want to have pets peeing on their feet will not take that particular flight. All other flights will be zero-tolerance for pets. Come to think of it, maybe there is an opportunity here for budding entrepreneurs – make a new airline and call it FLY PETS UNITED! Hey, you never know! But this current situation w/ the so-called psych support animals must stop!!!

For the most part, I agree with you, but, there are highly trained service dogs for other disabilities. My dog serves a dual purpose was a mobility dog and a psychatric service dog. She currently has over 2500. Hrs of train and I will guarantee she behaves better then almost all the children under the age of 5 on any given flight. When I do fly she is only noticed when we board and depart. I agree, pets should stay home but she is not a pet, and because of her specialty has been through more training a vision/seeing eye dog.

I commented above on this as well….according to the ADA establishments have the responsibility to accommodate BOTH the handler with a service animal AND the person with allergies. Something similar could be put into place on airlines. Also, a psychiatric service dogs there to mitigate a disability. The ADA also recognizes service dogs for disabilities OTHER THAN seeing eye/guide dogs. It is unfair to discriminate and say that one disability is allowed on a plane but another is not. If it is *trained* and behaves appropriately to mitigate a disability, it should be allowed regardless of if the disability is visible or invisible.

How in the world could a mini-horse be taken on an airplane? I suspect some dog breeds are larger but they are also house- trainable. How are their elimination needs handled? Even a trained animal would need to go on an 8 hour flight. Really, isn’t seating on airplanes enough tortue without the scent of animal feces and urine recycling through the air? I can’t imagine arriving at my miserably cramped seat and discovering that I would be bumping elbows with a bearded dragon for the duration of the flight.

A simple solution is for the airlines to have a dedicated flight for people who must travel with pets in the cabin. I understand that the service areas would shrink but the masses shouldn’t be forced to suffer due to the selfishness of pet owners who feel the need to travel with said pet(s). The airlines can even stipulate that the plane does not move till all seats are filled.

I have to allow a dog into my rental because the man says it’s a service dog…I have a no animal policy. He says the dog helps his physical walking stability. “It’s a Chihuahua “
Now unless you are Barbie and Ken I don’t think a chihuahua can help support you.
If the dog starts running around and relieves himself on the floor, I can ask him to leave, And there are only 2 questions I can legally ask him without hurting his feelings for the risk of being sued. I have a dog, 2 cats, and chickens that I love very much and know people that have true service dogs for blindness and other medical reasons and this has got to stop. It makes it more difficult for a real service dog to stay focused when you a posing service dog is barking and wants to play with a real working dog. Enough people, leave your PETS home.

Well, I just can’t pass up this opportunity to get my oar in the water too. I totally agree with the author of the article (Yo, Matt, ‘sup?). Flying should be for normal people, not cripples, idiots, wimps, animals, and people that don’t speak English, etc. How dare them think that they can bring themselves and any old thing they want onto a modern, sterile aircraft? Also, if you’ve seen one animal, you’ve seen them all. They are all filthy! Also, they act so entitled, Like they think this planet is here for them too. I think we should bar all non-humans and anybody that hasn’t had a bath in the last 4 hours from planes. One last tip, especially for Matt – avoid traveling by a bus in rural third world countries. I just k__l me sometimes – LMAO.

This is the mostly abused program that the travelers use to bring in their pets free on board flights claiming to be for emotional support. anybody can get the certificate online for a small fee. The best way to regulate this is not to allow any animals other than service dogs that fall under ADA.

The problem with the airlines as well as others is the lack of proper training. Let us start with the difference between a Service Animal (ADA) and an Emotional Support Animal. As of today, The American with Disability Act only recognizes a dog as a service animal. This animal must be able to provide a service and have specialized training. An emotional support animal can be any type of animal and does not need special training. Airlines can confirm the need for an animal by asking for documentation from a doctor. The exception to documentation is when the need for the animal is clear and evident; person without sight. Because a person with a disability requires the help of a trained/specialized animal, they may need that animal to enjoy public places such as public swimming pools, public building, and airlines. Accommodation animals do not require special training, therefore the public area rule does not apply. Accommodation paperwork can be bought on the internet for $50.00. You simply answer a few questions, pay the money, and wait for an email. Using logic, where does a peacock or iguana sit on a plane? Are these animals safe for all to be around? Have they had special training of any kind? The airlines have created a mess and it is largely due to their lack of knowledge and training. Every person should be sensitive to another person’s needs, however, things can quickly become out of control when rules and logic do not prevail. The word lawsuit scares everyone. Hypothetically, what about the traveler that gets bitten by an untrained Accommodation Animal? I am sure those lawsuits are in our future and we will be reading about them soon. Where did they all come from? I traveled over Christmas and I saw everything from cats to reptiles running around with vests on that say “Accommodation Animal.” The traveler now pays extra for prime seating, early boarding, and luggage. What is prime seating if your companion seat has a peacock with four feathers? So how do you put a lid on something that is out of control? First, ask for a doctor’s note three weeks prior to boarding. Second, get into deep discussions about this topic with their corporate attorneys, Third, a lot of additional training. As for me, the first airline that applies the rules properly will get my business for life. Sam W.

I guess some people only prey on these comments hoping they can catch someone with a spelling error. Please keep the comments to the article only. I’m a Captain for a major airline and see this stuff all the time. I usually just shake my head and turn away laughing. If this is the biggest problem in your life, you’ve got it easy.

How DARE you United! All she wants is her emotional support pet! Why don’t you go smash her head against her seat while you drag her out the plane too, while you’re at it! How far are these airlines going to go? Thanks Obama!